King Charles delivers his address to the nation and the Commonwealth from Buckingham Palace, London.POOL/Reuters
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Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, has died at the age of 96. The monarch spent more than 70 years on the throne. Follow for the latest updates.
Latest updates
- Canada will hold King Charles’s accession ceremony Saturday at Rideau Hall
- King Charles makes his first televised speech as monarch
- Palace officials said a date for the Queen’s funeral had yet to be set, although Sept. 19 appears to be the most likely day
11:20 p.m.
Trudeau signs book of condolences for Queen
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signs a book of condolences for Queen Elizabeth at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, on Friday, Sept. 9.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent several minutes writing a note in a book of condolences for the Queen at Rideau Hall, after returning to Ottawa from a three-day cabinet retreat in Vancouver.
Trudeau, who sat to sign the book that was placed on a table draped with a black cloth, appeared to copy his note from a separate piece of paper.
Behind him was a photo of the Queen with a black ribbon placed on it.
Trudeau wrote that “Canada came of age during Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s time as Sovereign.”
He also wrote that “generations of us have benefitted, profoundly, from her steady, graceful leadership and service.”
- The Canadian Press
9:50 p.m.
How Canada’s legislatures are marking Queen Elizabeth’s death
In British Columbia’s capital, visitors to the legislature queued up to sign a book of condolences, set out under a portrait of the Queen with its frame draped in a black shroud. Flags are at half-mast, and the exterior of the parliamentary buildings are lit in royal blue.
Across the country, each province in this Commonwealth country is following its own set of protocols for the official period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth, who died Thursday at 96.
For B.C., there is the public face of the province’s official mourning period. The other side of protocol is what is not being done: Politicking is largely suspended. Premier John Horgan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met in Vancouver on Friday as planned, but there were no public appearances or media availability. A joint news conference to announce an expansion of daycare subsidies was postponed.
- Justine Hunt, Carrie Tait and Dustin Cook
9:10 p.m.
In London, tale of two crowds on display as mourners honour beloved Queen, cast skeptical eye on King
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 09: Crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace to morn the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 9, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Kiran Ridley)Kiran Ridley/The Globe and Mail
As one royal era ended and another began, it was a tale of two crowds: One, vast and unanimous, seeing off the old monarch. Another, smaller and more skeptical, greeting the new one with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
Down by the gates of Buckingham Palace on Friday, where thousands of people shuffled through a tight-packed yet warm-hearted mob to place a bouquet along the gold-leaf fence, the crowd was pretty much unanimous in its feeling: “It’s just absolute love and respect for a great woman, isn’t it?” asked Sally Allison-Grey, 60, who’d come in from Bristol. Many said they weren’t even particularly monarchists, but all shared a limitless admiration for the woman who’d held the job for 70 years.
A few hundred metres away, a different crowd was gathered along the road leading through Green Park into the palace, wondering what all the police were preparing for. Suddenly, a motorcade appeared, at its centre an ancient vehicle bearing the royal ensign, whose big rear windows framed two well-known silhouettes.
- Doug Saunders
7:40 p.m.
Canadians across country mourn Queen Elizabeth, a ‘steady presence through tumultuous times’
As word spread that Queen Elizabeth had died on Thursday, Canadians began the ritual of honouring the 96-year-old British monarch, and her record-setting 70 years as the country’s head of state. Flags were lowered on government buildings, flowers were placed in her memory at statues, and pints were raised at neighbourhood pubs. On Friday, people lined up to sign books of condolences across the country.
Online, they praised the Queen’s steadfast endurance, her rooted-in-placeness while the world spun out and evolved at rapid speed around her. They posted anecdotes and photographs of the Queen that spanned decades – tales of handing her flowers as a young student during one of her 22 trips to Canada, peering over the crowd to glimpse a wave from the motorcade, exchanging a few words in a receiving line.
- Erin Anderssen, Eric Andrew-Gee, Jeff Gray, Dakshana Bascaramurty, Greg Mercer and Emma Graney
7:12 p.m.
King Charles’s accession ceremony to be held Saturday at Rideau Hall
A ceremony to proclaim the accession of King Charles III as Canada’s new head of state will take place Saturday morning at Rideau Hall, says the Governor General’s office.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of the federal cabinet and Privy Council are also expected to meet as part of the protocol needed to formally proclaim the new sovereign.
- The Canadian Press
6:55 p.m.
King Charles to take control of royal estate estimated to be worth US$27-billion
King Charles will receive a massive inheritance after his mother’s death – but it may not be as large as many people think.
The British monarchy has assets estimated at roughly US$27-billion, largely in real estate, including a number of castles and palaces. The King, like his mother Queen Elizabeth before him, and his successors after, receive income from many of the assets. They do not, however, have personal, legal ownership of those assets, so they are unable to sell them.
Instead, the assets are held by a variety of quasi-public duchies and estates, each with their own executives and boards, with financial reports published annually. The duchies and estates throw off income, much of which goes to the government, with a not inconsiderable sum given to Royal Family members.
6:32 p.m.
Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong love: corgis
Queen Elizabeth loved her corgis, the short-legged herding dog breed that Diana, Princess of Wales, famously called the Queen’s “moving carpet” because they accompanied her everywhere.
The famous matriarch of the royal line of corgis is Susan, who was given to Elizabeth on her 18th birthday. Susan was born on the Feb. 20, 1944, and was buried the pet cemetery at Sandringham after her death in 1959.
From her, 15 generations of royal corgis were born, ending with Willow, the Queen’s last corgi, the BCC reports. The Scotsman reported in 2015 that Elizabeth stopped breeding new dogs because, “as she gets older, she fears tripping over the small dogs, leaving her with a serious injury.”
The Queen’s corgis made headlines in 1989, when an 86-year-old woman bequeathed $32,000 to the royal pets before her death in March of that year. The woman’s son asked a court to declare that she was unstable when she made the decision. ‘’I’m sure the Queen, as the richest woman in the world, or her dogs, don’t need any assistance from my family,’’ he told reporters.
The woman’s lawyer said she left cash to the corgis from the sale of her home simply because she loved dogs.
5:50 p.m.
In King Charles, Canada can expect a very different monarch
Charles has had seven decades to prepare himself for this moment. Now, as he mourns his mother and prepares his next steps, the world must acquaint itself with a very different monarch than the last one, reports Paul Waldie.
Once he settles into the role, the King will certainly know the ropes. He’s been first in line to the throne since he was three years old, and he’s stood in for his mother on numerous occasions, especially in her later life when she could no longer make foreign trips. In 2018, he became the de facto head of the Commonwealth.
But his style and temperament will be vastly different from his mother. While the Queen was well-known for her devotion to duty and for rarely causing controversy, Charles has never been shy about expressing strong opinions on a range of topics or held back from meddling in government policy.
He’s been outspoken about architecture – attacking modernism and blasting what he felt were ill-conceived designs – and has expressed unorthodox views on science, gardening and medicine. He famously said that he talked to trees and he once touted a cancer treatment that involved drinking carrot juice and taking coffee-bean enemas.
— Paul Waldie
4:36 p.m.
King Charles and new Prime Minister Liz Truss meet
The new prime minister’s first meeting with the new monarch came after Charles returned to London from Scotland.
“The moment I’ve been dreading, as I know a lot of people have,” Charles was heard saying to the prime minister as they met in the audience room at Buckingham Palace.
Earlier, Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, spent more than 10 minutes shaking hands with well-wishers outside the palace.
“It has been so touching this afternoon when we arrived, all those people who had come to give their condolences … and flowers,” Charles said to Truss, as the prime minister also offered her sympathies.
— Reuters
3:37 p.m.
Queen Elizabeth on TV: She understood the medium well
Queen Elizabeth was an important television figure from the moment she was crowned. It was an accident of history that her coronation on June 2, 1953 coincided with the arrival of TV as a mass-influence medium, but the accident was hugely significant. To this day the Queen is a television star both as a real figure and as someone portrayed in multiple fictions about the Royal Family.
Perhaps she knew it. Radio ruled when Elizabeth came to the throne. But just as TV sets were becoming more common and cheaper, her coronation ceremony was seen by millions of viewers in the U.K. – a far larger number than those listening to coverage on BBC radio. The coronation was also seen by many millions more in the U.S. and Canada. When the winsome young woman became Queen and the pomp and circumstance was seen live, TV’s long love affair with Elizabeth had begun and has rarely wavered.
What the Queen thought about anything, especially politics, was largely unknown. Her public persona was shaped by image – and the intimacy of television was a huge benefit to her. Just by allowing Elizabeth’s coronation to be broadcast, the Queen signalled the monarchy could move forward with the times.
— John Doyle
2:40 p.m.
Charles is King. Who is next in line for the throne?
The British Royal family
Lines of succession
Line of firstborn heir
Remaining line
Deceased
King George VI
1895 – 1952
Reign 1936 – 1952
Queen Elizabeth II
1926 – 2022
Reign 1952 – 2022
Princess Margaret
Countess of Snowdon
1930 – 2002
King Charles
Born 1948
Reign 2022 –
Prince William
Duke of Cambridge
1982
1
2
Prince George
2013
3
Princess
Charlotte*
2015
4
Prince Louis
2018
Prince Harry
Duke of Sussex
1984
5
6
Archie
2019
7
16
Lilibet
2021
Princess Anne
Princess Royal
1950
Peter
Phillips
1977
17
18
Savannah
2010
19
Isla
2012
Zara
Tindall
1981
20
8
21
Mia
2014
Prince Andrew
Duke of York
1960
22
Lena 2018
23
Lucas
2021
Princess
Beatrice
1988
9
10
Sienna 2021
Princess
Eugenie
1990
11
12
13
August
2021
Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex
1964
James,
Viscount Severn
2007
14
Lady
Louise
2003
15
*The rule of succession was changed in 2013 to include daughters as well as sons. Previously, daughters could only inherit the British throne if there were no living sons.
SOURCE: REUTERS
The British Royal family
Lines of succession
Line of firstborn heir
Remaining line
Deceased
King George VI
1895 – 1952
Reign 1936 – 1952
Queen Elizabeth II
1926 – 2022
Reign 1952 – 2022
Princess Margaret
Countess of Snowdon
1930 – 2002
King Charles
Born 1948
Reign 2022 –
Prince William
Duke of Cambridge
1982
1
2
Prince George
2013
3
Princess
Charlotte*
2015
4
Prince Louis
2018
Prince Harry
Duke of Sussex
1984
5
6
Archie
2019
7
16
Lilibet
2021
Princess Anne
Princess Royal
1950
Peter
Phillips
1977
17
18
Savannah
2010
19
Isla
2012
Zara
Tindall
1981
20
8
21
Mia
2014
Prince Andrew
Duke of York
1960
22
Lena 2018
23
Lucas
2021
Princess
Beatrice
1988
9
10
Sienna 2021
Princess
Eugenie
1990
11
12
13
August
2021
Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex
1964
James,
Viscount Severn
2007
14
Lady
Louise
2003
15
*The rule of succession was changed in 2013 to include daughters as well as sons. Previously, daughters could only inherit the British throne if there were no living sons.
SOURCE: REUTERS
The British Royal family
Lines of succession
Line of firstborn heir
Remaining line
Deceased
King George VI
1895 – 1952
Reign 1936 – 1952
Queen Elizabeth II
1926 – 2022
Reign 1952 – 2022
Princess Margaret
Countess of Snowdon
1930 – 2002
King Charles
Born 1948
Reign 2022 –
Prince William
Duke of Cambridge
1982
1
16
Princess Anne
Princess Royal
1950
Prince George
2013
2
Princess
Charlotte*
2015
Peter
Phillips
1977
3
17
Prince Louis
2018
4
18
Prince Harry
Duke of Sussex
1984
Savannah
2010
5
19
Archie
2019
6
Isla
2012
Lilibet
2021
7
Zara
Tindall
1981
20
Mia
2014
21
8
Lena
2018
22
Prince Andrew
Duke of York
1960
Lucas
2021
23
Princess
Beatrice
1988
9
Sienna 2021
10
Princess
Eugenie
1990
11
August
2021
13
12
Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex
1964
James,
Viscount Severn
2007
14
*The rule of succession was changed in 2013 to include daughters as well as sons. Previously, daughters could only inherit the British throne if there were no living sons.
Lady
Louise
2003
15
SOURCE: REUTERS
1:40 p.m.
King Charles names William and Kate the Prince and Princess of Wales
During his first address as British monarch, King Charles bestowed the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales on his eldest son William and daughter-in-law Kate, passing on the titles that he and his late wife Diana previously held.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given,” Charles said.
Here’s a guide to the Royal Family’s new official titles:
Charles: He has chosen to be crowned King Charles III, although monarchs can choose any of their given names. Charles’s full name is Charles Philip Arthur George.
Camilla: The Queen said it was her sincere wish that the Duchess of Cornwall would be known as Queen Consort when Charles became King. Charles confirmed the title in his speech, saying: “In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage seventeen years ago, she becomes my Queen Consort.”
Prince William: Prince William will also automatically take on a new title. He’s currently the Duke of Cambridge but as the heir to the throne, like his father, he will now become the Duke of Cornwall. He will also inherit the title of Prince of Wales, as stated in Charles’ speech.
Kate Middleton: Kate has been given the title of Princess of Wales. The change has already been reflected on their Twitter account.
— Paul Waldie and Reuters
1:30 p.m.
King Charles makes first address as monarch
King Charles III says he feels “profound sorrow” over the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and is vowing to carry on her “lifelong service” to the nation.
Charles is making his first address to the nation as monarch Friday. He became king on Thursday after the queen’s death.
“That promise of lifelong service I renew to all today,” he said. He delivered the address with a framed photo on the queen on a desk.
He also expressed his love for Prince Harry and Meghan, his son and daughter-in-law, during the address, a significant gesture toward a couple whose relationships with the rest of the family have been strained.
“I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas,” Charles said in a solemn televised speech.
His speech was broadcast on television and streamed at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where some 2,000 people were attending a service of remembrance for the queen. Mourners at the service included Prime Minister Liz Truss and members of her government.
— The Associated Press and Reuters
12 p.m.
Elton John pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth at Toronto concert
Elton John paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at his final concert in Toronto on Thursday night, saying he was inspired by her and is sad she is gone.
“She led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace and decency and genuine caring,” John said.
“I’m 75 and she been with me all my life and I feel very sad that that she won’t be with me any more, but I’m glad she’s at peace,” he said. “I’m glad she’s at rest and she deserves it. She worked bloody hard.”
The singer-songwriter then performed his 1974 track “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
John was knighted by the queen in 1998, a year after the death of his friend Princess Diana. Prince Charles also anointed the musician and charity patron as a member of the Order of the Companions of Honor last year.
John’s concert was the second of two nights at Toronto’s Rogers Centre and part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, billed as his final tour.
— The Associated Press
11:40 a.m.
Washington mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth
In the hours after the Queen’s death, the U.S. capital of Washington, DC joined the U.K. and the Commonwealth in mourning.
President Joe Biden ordered flags at the White House, federal government buildings, military bases and naval ships lowered to half-mast until sunset on the day of the Queen’s funeral. In a statement, he recalled meeting the Queen for the first time in 1982, during a Senate delegation visit to the U.K., and most recently last year during his first overseas trip as president.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era. In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons,” Mr. Biden said. “The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”
In a condolence message to King Charles and his subjects, Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote that the Queen “personified a sense of stability” and that Americans would be “inspired by the memory of her service.”
People leave flowers for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at a makeshift memorial outside the British Embassy in Washington, DC, on September 9, 2022.BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images
A steady stream of mourners left flowers, notes and photographs of the Queen around a Union Jack made of wood and rocks set in the ground at the bottom of the British Embassy’s driveway.
The U.S. may have fought a war to free itself from the tyranny of her great-great-great-great-grandfather, but Americans viewed the Queen as a symbol of the close relationship between the countries that developed in the subsequent centuries.
11:15 a.m.
Former CTV anchor Lisa LaFlamme to cover Queen’s death from London for CityNews
Rogers Sports and Media says former CTV national news anchor Lisa LaFlamme will cover the death of the Queen Elizabeth II as a special correspondent for CityNews.
The network announced today that the Canadian journalist will be in London to lead CityNews’ coverage of events commemorating the Queen’s life, the Queen’s funeral and the transition to King Charles III’s reign.
In a written statement published by the company, LaFlamme says she is honoured to help tell the story of the Queen’s life and legacy.
LaFlamme’s abrupt dismissal from CTV’s flagship newscast prompted surprise and concern that she may have been dismissed due to her appearance, which Bell Media has denied.
— The Canadian Press
10:45 a.m.
Netflix’s The Crown pauses production
“The Crown,” Netflix’s acclaimed series about Queen Elizabeth II and her family, has paused production due to the monarch’s death.
A spokesperson for the series said production was paused on Friday “as a mark of respect” and will also be suspended on the day of the queen’s funeral.
The show is in production on its sixth season. Its fifth season, with Imelda Staunton playing the queen, will premiere in November.
— The Associated Press
9:55 a.m.
King Charles greets public outside Buckingham Palace
King Charles III has arrived at Buckingham Palace for the first time as Britain’s monarch.
The king flew to London from Scotland on Friday and was driven to the royal residence in an official Bentley. A large crowd cheered as the car arrived at the palace gates.
He got out of the car to greet well-wishers and look at some of the huge pile of floral tributes left to honour his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Some called “Thank you Charles” and “Well done, Charlie!” as he shook hands with the crowd. Several shouted “God save the King!”
A few broke into a rendition of Britain’s national anthem, which is now titled “God Save the King.”
— The Associated Press
9:25 a.m.
Share your memory of Queen Elizabeth with The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail wants to hear from readers about meeting Her Majesty in person. Where and when did you meet her? What do you remember most about that experience? Do you have a picture from that meeting you would like to share?
Share your stories with The Globe by filling out our form or if you’d prefer, please share your memory and photo by e-mailing audience@globeandmail.com.
8:55 a.m.
Conservatives say Queen’s death won’t delay announcement of new leader this weekend
The federal Conservatives say they will proceed with Saturday’s announcement of the winner of their leadership vote after raising concerns about the plan in light of the death of the Queen.
But the event in Ottawa will have a revised program to reflect the passing of Queen Elizabeth, says a statement Friday from Ian Brodie, chair of the party’s leadership election organizing committee.
The program is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. in Ottawa.
Following news Thursday of the Queen’s death, the party issued a statement saying its leadership election organizing committee was considering an “appropriate, respectful way” to announce the results and would respect all protocols on the death of the Sovereign set by the federal government and provide an update early on Friday.
8:50 a.m.
Bells toll across the U.K. in tributes to the Queen
Landmarks and churches across the United Kingdom rang their bells on Friday in tribute to the memory of Queen Elizabeth.
— Reuters
8 a.m.
King Charles to be officially proclaimed new monarch on Saturday
Britain's King Charles walks at Aberdeen Airport as he travels to London, following the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 9, 2022.POOL/Reuters
King Charles will be officially proclaimed Britain’s new monarch at a meeting of the Accession Council at St James’s Palace on Saturday, Buckingham Palace said.
The Council meeting, which has two parts, proclaims the new sovereign and see the King sign an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland.
Following the meeting, there will be the Principal Proclamation from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s Palace, with other announcements of the new monarch made across the United Kingdom and in the City of London.
— Reuters
7:50 a.m.
Life in Britain grounds to a halt in honour of Queen Elizabeth
Life across much of Britain has ground to halt in honour of the Queen. Most sporting and cultural events have been cancelled, including all of Friday’s soccer matches. The Premier League announced that all games scheduled for the weekend and Monday have been postponed to honour the Queen’s “extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respects.”
The U.S. Open in New York is planning a moment of silence before the start of the women’s semi-final and the BBC has dropped its Last Night at the Proms, the traditional boisterous conclusion to the annual summer music festival.
Unions representing thousands of workers at the Royal Mail and 14 train operators have also scrapped planned strike action.
A tribute to the Queen is displayed on an advertising board next to Anfield, home of Liverpool FC, on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022.Peter Byrne/The Associated Press
The Queen’s death has also already triggered a host of changes in dozens of fields. Top lawyers will have to change their designation from “Queen’s Counsel” to “King’s Counsel.” Court officials in London also started announcing “God save the King” before proceedings on Friday.
New coins with King Charles will also have to be issued with his head turned in a different direction from the Queen’s. By convention, each King or Queen faces in the opposite direction to the one before. The Queen looked right which means King Charles’s head will turn left.
— Paul Waldie
7:25 a.m.
Bank of England postpones rate hike decision due to royal mourning
The Bank of England on Friday postponed next week’s interest rate decision following the death of Queen Elizabeth, its first delay to a monetary policy meeting since the central bank became operationally independent 25 years ago.
“In light of the period of national mourning now being observed in the United Kingdom, the September 2022 meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee has been postponed for a period of one week,” the BOE said in a statement.
“The Committee’s decision will be announced at 12 noon on 22 September.”
— Reuters
7 a.m.
China sends ‘deep condolences’ as Queen mourned in formerly British Hong Kong
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to King Charles on Friday, expressing “deep condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II.”
According to state media, Mr. Xi noted the Queen was the first British monarch to visit China and that she “won wide acclaim” during her reign. “Her death is a great loss to the British people,” the Chinese leader added.
In this file photo taken on Oct. 20, 2015, Queen Elizabeth hosts a State Banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping at Buckingham Palace.DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty Images
Many on Chinese social media spoke fondly of the Queen, saying she promoted close ties between the two countries. She was also mourned Friday in Hong Kong, which was a British colony until 1997, when it was handed over to China in a ceremony attended by Prince Charles, as he then was.
In a statement, Hong Kong leader John Lee said, “It is with great sadness that I express our profound condolences on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.”
He added, “She was greatly respected, admired and praised by the British people.”
A book of condolences was opened for people to sign at the British consulate Friday, outside of which mourners also laid flowers.
6 a.m.
Britain enters a period of mourning; King Charles to address the nation
Britain will begin a period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth on Friday with gun salutes, ringing church bells and the first address by the new king.
Detailed funeral arrangements for the Queen, who died Thursday at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle, haven’t been announced but there will be several tributes to her on Friday.
At noon local time, the bells of Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle and churches across the country will toll in her honour and the House of Commons will hold a special session for Members of Parliament to pay their respects.
An hour later, at 1 p.m., guns in London’s Hyde Park and elsewhere will fire 96 rounds, one for each year of her life. There will also be a remembrance service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in the evening and King Charles III will make a televised speech at around 6 p.m.
CARDIFF, WALES - SEPTEMBER 09: The 104 Regiment Royal Artillery take part in the 96-gun salute, to mark every year of the Queen's life, at Cardiff Castle on September 9, 2022 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and acceded the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is survived by her four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, Andrew, Duke Of York and Edward, Duke of Wessex. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
The King and Camilla, Queen Consort, are travelling from Balmoral to London on Friday, where the monarch will meet Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace. Some members of the Royal Family, including Prince Harry, have also begun to return to London, according to media reports, although the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of York have stayed at Balmoral.
Palace officials said Friday that a date for the Queen’s funeral had yet to be set, although Sept. 19 appears to be the most likely day. Whatever date is chosen, it’s expected to be declared a national holiday.
— Paul Waldie
5 a.m.
Mourners gather at Buckingham Palace
They came with flowers, candles and handwritten messages. Some cried as they laid down their tributes to the fallen Queen while others stood silently, heads bowed.
“The country is not going to be the same without her,” said Ben Gage as he watched a steady stream of mourners gather outside the main gate at Sandringham, a royal estate in Norfolk. “I think the nation will take a while to get over this.”
Thousands of people have been gathering and placing flowers at Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where the Queen’s coffin is expected to be taken either Friday or Saturday. A service will be held this weekend at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh before the coffin is flown to London, where the Queen will lie in state next week in Westminster Hall, the oldest building on the parliamentary estate.
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 09: Members of the public gather on the Queen Victoria Memorial outside of Buckingham Palace on September 09, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and acceded the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)Chris Jackson/Getty Images
At the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where the Royal Family traditionally gathers for Christmas, several notes had been pinned to the main gate and dozens of bouquets lined the roadway. “Thank you for dedicating your life so we can have ours,” read one. “So sorry, rest in peace,” said another. So many people have been arriving at the gates that police have closed several roads around the estate.
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